Abolition
Abolition is a "political vision that seeks to create a society that imagines ways to address harm and conflict beyond punishment and incarceration. It is about not simply the absence of prisons and policing, but the presence of new infrastructure, social networks and institutions that are not structured through violence, domination, racial capitalism and disposability." -Abolition & Disability Justice Collective [1]
See the prison industrial complex for more on the harm that punitive systems cause.
What could abolition look like? [2]
- People in other parts of the world rely on prisons and police far less than North Americans and suffer far less harm.
- "Communities where people have housing, food, education and jobs have the lowest crime rates. The best way to reduce harm is by building safe, healthy communities where people have their basic needs met." - Critical Resistance [3]
- Instead of calling the police when there is a conflict in our neighborhoods, we can establish community forums and mediation practices to address conflict.
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